There are many potential applications for high performance infrared (IR) sensors in the field of security and other related areas in the military, industrial and domestic markets. Current sensors are either too expensive for wide-scale use in this market segment, or have inadequate performance. The common passive infrared (PIR) sensor used widely in security systems is incapable of imaging and produces a simple hot-spot detection of a moving target. These sensors cannot detect stationary targets, or discriminate clearly between a human and other target, and are subject to false alarms. To date there are no IR security sensors known to the inventor that facilitate detection and recognition of targets of interest with minimal false alarms and at an affordable cost acceptable to this market segment. In particular there are no known affordable IR security sensors that are able to detect stationary targets or targets where temperature changes relatively slowly.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned problems and to provide the public with a useful and higher performing alternative to the present PIR sensors.
Accordingly the present invention provides for sensors that facilitate detection and recognition of targets that may be animate, such as human beings, or inanimate, such as a heated area in the field of view that may, for example, indicate the early stages of a fire.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide for sensors that improve on the current ability to detect targets approaching the sensor (which are often undetected with current PIR sensors), and slow temperature rises related to, for example, electrical equipment failure or a developing fire.